Record Breaker
by DieEierVonSatanSatanBalls
Summary: ANBU team number 37 was in need of the Byakugan. Under extraordinary circumstances, Hyuuga Hinata was the only available carrier at the time.  The Hokage must make one of the most difficult decisions of his career. With startling results.SasuHina.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

**ANBU's Unforeseen Record Breaker**

**Summary: ANBU team number 37 was in need of the Byakugan. Under extraordinary circumstances, Hyuuga Hinata was the only available carrier at the time. The Hokage must make one of the most difficult decisions of his career. With startling results.**

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* * *

**

_Her footsteps were light and fast and almost entirely noiseless in the night. She'd be leaving the cover of trees soon and her rapidly beating heart sped even faster in her anxiety. But the other heartbeat, the only thing that breached her world of darkness and gave her a light to follow, was so, so close. _

_She jumped from the last tree and landed low on the hard packed dirt, throwing caution to the wind and speeding straight through the gates without breaking pace._

_They were following her now, after her abrupt appearance to their senses, shouting back and forth to each other. She hadn't a care for their words, just noise to her ears, nor their presence; she was just _so close_. _

_They were hot on her heels and gaining fast after recovering from their initial shock. She dodged their projectiles with an effortlessness that came from knowing their aim even before they did._

_The heartbeat was so close, just a little farther, and then she was there, standing before it, the one clear light in her new world of darkness. And she spoke for the first time in weeks:_

"_Tadaima" _

* * *

Chapter I

Hyuuga Hinata was content with being a member of team 8. Her Jounin sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai, was a woman that Hinata had known since her early childhood. And with an embarrassing amount of inward emotion, she thought of the older woman as one of the people she cared most for.

Her fellow Genin, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino, come from prominent tracking clans that Hinata's Byakugan could easily compliment; though it seemed kind of a waste for three such trackers to be on the same team.

The four of them had been a team for a month now and Hinata was beginning to feel despair sink into her small body. She hadn't understood it at first. They were kind, caring, and patient toward her, but as the days passed she realized that it was only toward her.

Kiba never argued with her like he did with Shino. Kurenai was never as harsh with her as she was with Kiba. And Shino was always watching her, as if making sure she didn't hurt herself. They even went so far as helping her with menial tasks when they thought she needed it, even when she didn't. It was borderline insulting.

They weren't treating her like an equal member of team 8; they were treating her like an invalid, like she couldn't handle the same things they could. Was it not enough that she graduated fourth in their class? One of her greatest fears was that, like her father, she'd never be good enough for them.

Hinata sighed and sat up in her bed to look out the window at the near full moon. Their actions told her that, just like everyone else, they thought she was pathetic. This knowledge didn't anger her, she was used to it, but it did fill her to the brim with hopelessness. How was she ever going to get stronger if not even her team let her get her hands dirty?

She fell asleep with the wish that things would change upon her lips.

* * *

When Hinata woke that morning, she was tired both physically and mentally. She finished dressing and headed downstairs to join her fellow clan members in the dining hall for a silent breakfast even though she wasn't hungry.

Hinata hated participating in Hyuuga daily meals. She would have rather starved than enter and stay in the tense atmosphere that overfilled the room. She also knew that she'd never be allowed to malnourish herself. Let alone the complaints she would get if the heir to the clan didn't show at all.

Hinata struggled to walk to her seat at a steady pace and not trip over herself. Even if her father barely paid attention to her any more, she didn't want to attract his disapproving gaze. When she neared her chair to the right of her father's at the end of the table, as per usual of the heir, she finally pealed her eyes off the floor and the instant she took in her surroundings, her face burned in shame.

It was an extremely rare occasion that the dining hall was ever over half filled. The Hyuuga were a Shinobi clan after all, and Shinobi had responsibilities outside the compound.

However, Hinata had been so uncomfortable entering that she had unconsciously shut down all her senses and failed to realize the distinct lack of people present. The few who were there were either too young or too old to be active Shinobi.

Hinata let out the breath she had been holding. Her father was not among the people present and neither were the elders. Though she was sure that someone in the room was assigned to watch her every move, the thought just wasn't as intimidating as the physical presence of her father. She allowed herself to relax and set her senses free.

Either the Byakugan was on high demand today, or her father had taken a large convoy to some foreign diplomatic meeting she hadn't been told about. She figured it was both.

'_Hanabi_', Hinata recognized her sister even before she casually strolled into the hall and sat across from her. The younger of the two confirmed her sister's musings about their father with a simple sentence, "Otou-sama will not be back until Friday." Today was Wednesday.

Hanabi and their father held a vigorous training schedule and so he was quick to inform her when there was a change of plans. She then reported to Hinata.

Hinata smiled and thanked her little sister for the information before asking, "W-would you like to train to-together this a-afternoon then?"

Hanabi immediately beamed at her older sister and nodded twice fast. She didn't understand why their father despised Hinata so much. She secretly adored her and basked in her motherly affections.

Hinata's praise was so much different from their father's. His were cold expectation, while hers were filled with warmth and congratulations. Everything was more fun with Hinata because she was allowed to act like the seven year old kid she was.

They finished their meal in relative silence with Hanabi fidgeting with excitement every now and then. Hinata couldn't shake her happy smile the whole time. All the gloomy thoughts from the night before were banished from her mind as she basked in her sister's love that was only revealed when their father was not present.

They left the hall together with Hanabi bouncing along in front. Hinata absently noted the arthritic ex-kunoichi watching from twenty-five and a half meters behind them. She had grown adept at knowing when she was being watched. Excluding of course when her father is around and all she can concentrate on is his being there.

They reached an intersection and Hinata was about to head off for her team meeting, when Hanabi suddenly ran into someone while saying her goodbyes. Neji was obviously in a hurry to grab something to eat before heading off for a mission. He was too preoccupied with the details of said weeklong mission to notice Hanabi.

His momentum took them both to the ground. Hanabi shrieked in outrage as they both climbed to their feet. "What the hell do you think you're doing branch? You should have watched where you were going if you knew what was best for your health!"

Hinata was already in motion when Hanabi's mouth opened but when she formed a seal and Neji's face began to contort in pain, there was no time to hold back.

A resounding slap filled the hallway as Hanabi was forced to the ground again, successfully ending the jutsu before it could fully start.

All was silent as Hinata stared at her little sister in anger, her hand still raised. She had never hit Hanabi so hard in her life. Not even when they sparred.

Hanabi's face flushed with shock, anger, and embarrassment as Hinata spoke. "How DARE you Hanabi? How dare you? Neji-nii-san is our family! I don't want to ever see or hear of you using that seal again. Do you understand?" stunned silence met her words. "Do. You. Understand?" She couldn't even stutter in her heated fury.

Hanabi looked down, absolutely mortified. Hinata, her big sister, just painfully struck her down. Hinata, her only source of warmth in this world, just yelled at her with such angry, disappointed eyes. All over something that was such a big part of the Hyuuga clan. Hanabi felt like she wanted to cry and indeed she already felt the stinging in her eyes.

Hanabi all of a sudden wanted Hinata to pay for the pain she was giving her. To hurt her sister as she had hurt her. Her head shot up to stare at her favorite person in the world, with angry, water filled eyes. Neji forgotten.

"I understand now," Hanabi said, "You may be no better than them but I am. Father was right. You are weak, and pathetic, and totally unsuited to be the Hyuuga's heiress. I hope he brands you and throws you into the branch house where you belong!" With that Hanabi got up and ran away. Hinata watched her go and the pain from the night before rapidly swallowed her up and threatened to kill her.

Neji didn't know what to feel let alone say, so he left his frozen cousin in the middle of the hall, to meet his team without breakfast.

Hinata ran as fast as she could out of the house and beyond the compound walls to meet with her team. She would not cry. She wouldn't! Crying would mean that she was sorry for what she did to Hanabi and she wasn't. She had deserved it, but…did Hanabi really feel that way?

Hinata sucked in a shuddering breath and shook her head to clear it. She refused to let her team see her any weaker than they already did. The pain remained however. Sharp, vicious, and constant.

* * *

She is the only one currently in the village that is an active Shinobi. Time is of the essence.

Is it impossible to suggest that one of them come out of retirement for this?

The Hyuuga are a proud Shinobi clan. Those who retire do so because they are unable to function properly anymore.

She is just a child.

She forfeit her right to a childhood when she became a Shinobi.

I too, believe it to be a necessary sacrifice.

Yes, you are right. I shall send for her, but keep in mind that if she refuses the mission. I will not force her.

Yes of course but as was said before, the Hyuuga are a proud clan.

* * *

Hinata was an expert at concealing pain, both mental and physical, so Team 8 completed 4 D-rank missions before noon, without a hitch. They decided that after a quick lunch at one of the small restaurants in town that they would complete the day with team training.

However, just as they were about to bypass Ichiraku Ramen in search of some other provider of substance, the Hokage's personal messenger dropped down in front of them.

He quickly handed a scroll to Kurenai and stated, "Hyuuga Hinata is requested at the Hokage's office as soon as possible." He then abruptly vanished in a generic puff of smoke.

Hirata turned to her sensei, who had still not opened the scroll in shock, with confused if somewhat frightened eyes. "You'd better get going Hinata, it's not wise to keep Hokage-sama waiting," Kurenai told her and in an attempt to offer last minute advice added, "Just be respectful and try to speak as clearly as possible."

With that Hinata took to the roofs at a fast pace in an attempt to both adhere to her sensei's advice and calm her nerves through physical exertion. Running had always managed to soothe her in the past and she just hoped it worked this time. Hinata had never been called to the Hokage's office without her team or father present, so to say she was a bit nervous would be an understatement.

When Hinata found herself outside the doors of the Hokage Tower, she was disappointed that the run hadn't cleared all her nervousness, but it did give her time to think. So before she stepped foot in his office she threw away her misgivings and resolved herself to trust her leader and do whatever he asked her to do to the best of her ability.

* * *

"Hyuuga Hinata, I have a mission of great importance to our village's safety, the likes of which your Byakugan would be a valued asset to. Due to a series of highly unusual circumstances, you are the only remaining Hyuuga within our village's walls on active duty and there is little time. This mission will be severely different than any you have completed so far. It will be dangerous…

_(Darkness shrouds her as she runs desperately through the night. Her lungs burn and just when she thinks she can run no longer, she is forced to dodge out of the way of a precisely thrown kunai. To keep running is useless, she can't shake him, she'll have to stand and fight.)_

"…it will be deadly,

_(His blood splashes her face and chest as he falls. She turns around and hurls as she realizes that the metallic she tastes is his once life giving blood within her mouth.)_

"…and I cannot guarantee that all of you will make it back alive. If you decide to accept the mission, bring a light pack of absolute necessities needed to survive for six days to debriefing room number 28 where you will meet your temporary teammates. If you decide not to accept," the grandfather in him added, "no one will think any less of you. I urge you to think your decision through carefully. You have two hours."

"Hai, H-hokage-sama." Hinata's voice was strictly polite and her face impassive. It was times like these that she was grateful for her Hyuuga etiquette training.

It was only out of respect for her Hokage's wishes that she left his office without immediately voicing her decision.

As she walked the brightly colored halls of the Hokage Tower on her way outside, she allowed her Hyuuga visage to drop and her breathing became a little less controlled. This was no kiddy mission like picking weeds or chasing stray animals. It was the real deal and she'll have to do it with complete strangers.

She suddenly needed air, or risk hyperventilating in the middle of the Hokage Tower. There was a window just across the hall. She ran to it and pushed it open with perhaps a little too much force before hurdling herself through it. It was only after she was pass the wooden frame did she realized that she was on the fourth floor and that landing on her face in front of the Hokage Tower, was almost as bad, if not worse, as hyperventilating within its walls.

She would have to make the landing impressive or hazard the possibility of having the humiliating event reach the ears of her father and that was just not acceptable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

Chapter II

* * *

Team 7 was on their way to the Hokage Tower with a struggling Tora. They had been chasing the despicable cat for three hours now, so imagine their annoyance when it managed to claw its way out of one Uzumaki Naruto's grasp, once again.

* * *

Hinata executed a simple flip and sent a carefully measured amount of chakra to her feet to lessen the impact. Even before she grounded she noticed the speeding chakra that was headed straight for her predicted point of landing.

It was a cat, and judging by the red bow by its ear, someone loved it. She wouldn't allow herself to hurt the seemingly innocent creature. Hinata twisted to prepare for a roll and moved her already gathered chakra from her feet to her shoulder and side.

She hit and reached out to grab the cat and press it close to her to protect it from the weight of her body as she completed her roll. The result kicked up a great deal of dust and she coughed as she involuntarily inhaled it. She came out of her roll in a crouch.

The cat began struggling, and digging its sharp little claws into her arm, so she held it by the skin at the back of its neck away from her body until it stilled. Just as she was about to let it go, she was surrounded.

"Ah! Hinata-chan, you caught the little monster," Naruto's loud, cheery voice prompted her to stand from her crouch with the cat supported in her arms, one hand still lightly holding its scruff.

"Oh, i-is he yours?" She held it out to him and he took it. Their arms brushed and she felt her face flame at the physical contact.

Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the Hyuuga clan, was not used to being touched. Even this little bit of contact made her uncomfortable, but Uzumaki Naruto was someone she admired for his resilience, so she resisted the urge to outwardly cringe away. He had an overly boisterous personality that was not found among the blank stares of the Hyuuga, so she was not used to such behavior.

He tightened his hold on the cat in his arms as he replied, "No, we had to catch the damn cat for our mission."

"Ah," Hinata's eyes widened in apology, "forg-give me for i-interfering."

Haruno Sakura replied as Naruto eyed her curiously. "No, don't apologize, really Hinata-chan we needed the help. Thanks a lot."

Sakura was the top female graduate of their academy class. She was book smart, but didn't really have the skill to back it up and her mind set was not necessarily where a Shinobi's should be; her priorities were shot to hell.

Needless to say, Hinata was largely unconcerned with the girl but she held a special place in Naruto's heart and Hinata was not a naturally cruel person, so she was nothing less than courteous to her.

Hinata actively tried not to meet the gaze of team seven's third member. Uchiha Sasuke. She didn't think she could handle the overwhelming load of grief and memories that his presence brought upon her.

However she was going to accept the mission that was presented to her and she didn't want to miss the chance to look at him one last time. There was a possibility that she wouldn't make it back as the Sandaime Hokage told her himself. She didn't want to look back on this moment as she was dying and regret her actions.

Slowly, Hinata moved her eyes from Haruno Sakura to the boy she had not allowed herself to look at, really look at, for four long years. Since that night: when their world was shattered far beyond repair.

He was staring steadily at her, body tense and face blank like he didn't want to back down from the challenge of facing her.

Their eyes locked and her insides suddenly felt warm, like she was a child again with nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be alright now. So she gave him a soft and radiantly happy smile that seemed to light the air around her on fire, the same way the fireflies would light the air on the summer nights they used to spend together in childish awe.

He blinked in a hopeless attempt to keep the shock from his face and body language.

She turned to address the group as a whole with such an unbelievable look of contentment that she could have closed her eyes if she didn't want to lose any of their remaining time together with such a foolish action. She wanted to memorize the silly expressions of surprise they all wore. Sakura's mixture of surprise and anger, Naruto's surprise and confusion, Sasuke's surprise and…pain.

She tensed suddenly, her smile vanishing, as she felt her observer's eyes on her and the memory of exactly _why_ she had not interacted with him for so long was brought harshly to the forefront of her mind. She was abruptly and rather unexpectedly overwhelmed with fury towards the woman who was assigned to watch her every move for the very reason of making sure she did not interact with boy in front of her. In fact Uzumaki Naruto was also on the list of people she was not supposed to acknowledge.

The decrepit Hyuuga revealed herself thirty meters behind team seven, her warning clear as day. Hinata was about to walk to her possible death and this woman could not give her five minutes with them? On this day, she was not willing to bend to the threat. Consequences be damned.

Team seven, clearly confused by her change in behavior, turned to look behind them. They watched the Hyuuga woman turn around in surprise and walk away. When they looked back at Hinata, she had her Byakugan activated and chin lowered. Realizing what she'd done in her anger, her eyes widened in equal surprise and she blinked owlishly as her Kekkei Genkai slowly faded.

"I-i should be go-going." Hinata said with a shaky voice. "I have a m-mission to prep-p-pare for. It was nice to see you a-all again."

Hinata turned around before they could respond and began to make her way to the Hyuuga compound, never once looking back.

* * *

Her pack was light and it took little time to get ready. All that was left to do was say her goodbyes incase she didn't make it back. Hanabi would be at the academy now and Hinata doubted she would allow her to take her out of class to speak with her, given the current circumstances between them. So she resolved herself to sit down and write. She would take them to the only person she trusted to take care of them and disperse them in the event she didn't make it back.

When it got to the point that she felt a little like she was writing suicide notes, she forced herself to stop and breathe. Hinata was all the more grateful that she decided not to say goodbye in person. She didn't think she could do it. She really was a coward wasn't she.

When she knocked on her sensei's apartment door, Yuuhi Kurenai answered it almost immediately and opened her door wide to let her in.

"Hinata! So I take it this means you'll be accepting the mission?" Hinata guessed that the scroll her sensei had received had told of her student's upcoming absence from team training. But going off her tone of voice she decided her sensei was not informed on how dangerous a mission it was.

"H-hai sensei." Hinata was relieved that she could possibly get through this encounter without worrying her sensei unnecessarily.

"Are you excited? Have you met the Shinobi you'll be working with yet?" Kurenai smiled softly at her student and offered her a seat in the kitchen.

"Ano, y-yes I am excited, and no, I-I have not met my te-teammates yet."

Kurenai hummed a carefree tune as she poured two cups of tea and asked, "Are you nervous then?"

Hinata fidgeted as she answered, "Yes I g-guess. Tha-that is why I came h-here actually."

"Oh?" Kurenai stared at her questionably as Hinata ignored her tea in favor of bringing out a small stack of letters from one of her jacket's pockets.

Kurenai knew exactly what they were, having gone through the process herself many times before, but she asked anyway. "Hinata…what is this?"

"I-it's my first big mission, and I g-guess I'm just a bi-bit nervous is all." Hinata stared at the letters as she addressed her sensei.

Kurenai put down her tea and gave her a soft smile as she replied, "Hinata, don't be ridiculous. The Hokage would never put you on a mission that would greatly endanger your life until he was certain you were ready and he knows that you're not."

Hinata paused for a moment for the falsehood of her sensei's words before she said, "Yes, yes of-of course, but all the same sen-sensei. Will you puh-please keep them for me ju-just in case something goes wr-wrong?"

"Of course, but you really have nothing to worry about. Just pay attention to your surroundings and trust in your teammates."

Hinata inwardly cringed at her sensei's subtle suggestion that she was a liability to her teammates even, when she believed it would be an easy mission. "Ah, yes we-well I should be-be going. I will se-see you soon Kurenai-sensei."

"Goodbye and good luck!" They waved at each other and Kurenai sighed. Her female student was just too cute! She turned back around and her eyes landed on the three letters still on her cheap, plastic, kitchen table. The letters made her uncomfortable but she shrugged it off. There was no way something so bad could happen to Hinata on what Kurenai thought was just a simple C-ranked mission. Perhaps she would go buy that new kitchen table she so desperately needed. Something solid and wooden sounded nice.

* * *

Hinata let the content feeling that she felt with Sasuke wash back over her as opened one of the Hokage's two solid oak office doors, thirty-seven minutes early. She stood steadily in front of him as she relayed her decision to him. She walked behind him without a single stumble or trip as he led her to debriefing room twenty-eight without his usual grandfatherly smile upon his aging face.

She paid diligent attention to the mission guidelines and introductions to her rather intimidating temporary ANBU teammates. She even managed to keep her breathing steady as she passed through the Konoha gates without even a glance behind her.

However Hyuuga Hinata was about find out just how wrong an S-ranked mission could go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

Chapter III

* * *

Hanabi walked back from the academy three meters in front of her Hyuuga escort as was customary. She regretted what she'd said to her sister. She was confused, shocked, and hurt, but mostly confused.

She didn't understand why Hinata got so mad. Why was the seal there if it was not supposed to be used? She didn't understand so she was going to ask Hinata as soon as she got home. They didn't have much time left together before their father returned.

Even in her young age, Hanabi knew it would be foolish to waste such valuable time on an argument she didn't even fully understand.

When they got within the walls of the compound, her escort left her without a word. The grounds were spacious with several traditional one-story buildings, surrounded by extravagant gardens and personal training grounds. Each area has a specific purpose clearly separating the Main and Branch houses so that it had the feel of two different clans living within the same compound.

Perhaps to an outsider it would all look clean and unified, but those of the clan knew better.

* * *

Hanabi was disappointed when she was unable to find her older sister within the compound and she was about to expand her search when she remembered that she was a real ninja now and was probably busy with her new job. She would wait for her to get home.

When dinner came rolling around and Hinata still hadn't shown, Hanabi was worried that she had damaged her fragile sister even more than she thought.

So she chose a seat next to one of the old retired Shinobi who stayed behind when her father and his convoy left. She couldn't recall his name, but she knew he was of the main branch and that he lost his arm defending their village twelve years ago.

"Do you know where Onee-san is, Oji-sama?"

Retired Shinobi were to be given the proper respect they'd earned within the clan. Not even the retired branch members were denied this. The only people who were not to address them with the title "–sama" were the head of the clan, his heir, and the council of elders.

Some said it was the branch house's goal to reach retirement. Not Hanabi though, if she was going to end up in the branch house, she wanted to go out with a bang, not crippled and caged, isolated in the far corner of the compound; out of sight.

"Hinata-sama was given a mission this afternoon, Hanabi-san," he replied to her formally with precise Hyuuga etiquette. "She will not return for at least two weeks."

Hanabi visibly deflated but she didn't really care about appearances at the moment. Two weeks was an excruciatingly long time for the seven year old Hanabi to have to wait for her question to be answered. By the time she would return their father would also be back and they wouldn't be able to spend much time together.

"It would appear that her Genin team will not be going with her." A woman visibly aged beyond comfort sat tall with her back straight even though it was not hard to imagine the pain it brought her. "I was informed that the Inuzuka and the Aburame were passing by the market after Hinata-sama had left."

Her older sister was on an official mission without her designated team. What did that mean? The people around her obviously knew by the subtle reactions to the news and it was definitely nothing good.

* * *

Four days have passed since Hinata left for her mission and Hanabi was not a patient child. She wanted answers but she was determined not to ask anyone else. Especially when she felt so weird; that feeling in the pit of her stomach had not disappeared and it made her worry.

Hanabi harbored no love for the emotion. It only added fuel to the fire of her mounting frustration and it had only been _four days_. How was she going to survive the next week and a half?

It was madness, so strong that it drove her to ditch her academy class during her lunch break to stand in front of the great gates and just stare. A stare that when her older sister did not immediately walk through them, turned into a glare equipped with the Byakugan.

She stretched her vision as far as it would go and nothing, not a single person for forty-five kilometers. Hanabi is young and so her Byakugan was as well. It only reached just a little over half the range of an average full grown Hyuuga but still more than most could do at her age.

It was frustrating, this feeling of worry, and she decided she didn't want to let it win. Hanabi resolved to herself that she would not came back to wait and stare pointlessly at the gates like some lost mutt.

…

Four days later she was back again, in the very same spot at exactly the same time as four days previous. Hanabi wasn't sure why she was here again and she was ashamed for breaking her resolve. She just didn't expect the absolute agony that her sister's absence would bring. Hanabi knew in hindsight that eight days was not very long at all but the sisters had never been apart for so long in their entire lives. Her older sister had left an unexpected void in her life that was absolutely excruciating.

"Hey kid. Hey!" Hanabi slowly slid her gaze from the open gates to the small booth on the side. It would seem that the gate guards had decided to acknowledge her presence this time. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Academy right now?"

Bored with them and their additional annoyance, Hanabi turned back to the gate and didn't move from her position of thirty-odd feet from theirs. She didn't wish to deal with these low-lives so she activated her Byakugan to let them know that she was Hyuuga and her status was sure to be far above theirs.

This seemed to greatly irritate them. Their reactions served to wholly confuse the naïve seven year old and she struggled to hide it.

One of the two stood up, pointed harshly at her and began to yell. "I don't care who the hell you think you are _brat,_ but there will be no loitering of little children around this gate! Do you _understand_?" she jerked her head in his direction with wide eyes, his action startled her. She was still new to non-clan interactions and she felt her steadfast belief of Hyuuga importance slip a little.

However she was not intimidated, he had nothing on her father, and if anything was more than a little angry at his behavior. With a glare Hanabi turned the conversation back on him, "Why don't you just do your job like a good little _gate guard_! There are two people coming this way and one is carrying the other."

The guard paused and dismissed her insult completely by asking, "Are they both alive?"

His question startled her again as she began to consider the seriousness of this new situation. She checked the approaching pair again to make sure, though it was useless; she would not have been able to tell if there were two people if one was dead. She replied to him cautiously, "Yes." Hanabi was young, her Byakugan unrefined. Could one of them be her sister? Was she injured?

The second guard was standing now as well and both seemed impatient with the slowness of her response. "How far out are they?"

How far, how far? Judging distance was still a new part of her training. She knew her total range was forty-five kilometers; an impressive feat for someone her age and only fifteen kilometers behind her older sister of five years. But how does one accurately estimate the distance of a moving target well within her range? So she stretched her sight to the limit and guessed that they were a little past the halfway mark.

Hanabi turned back to the guards with an emotionless face. She would not let them see her uncertainty. "They are nearly twenty kilometers out."

"Alright," the second guard said to the first, "go assemble a proper medic team then inform the Hokage that there are two unscheduleds arriving." An unscheduled was simply an unexpected arrival, whether it be a civilian seeking entrance or a ninja returning early from a mission.

Five minutes later a team of four fully equipped medical-nins were standing in front of the gates as well. Hanabi's presence was forgotten amongst the tension.

She watched them as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. They were still as statues – concentrating she decided – waiting and tracking the pair's swift arrival.

When their figures came into view Hanabi's heart jumped into her throat and her chest clenched tightly. It was hard to breathe. The man was carrying someone much smaller than him. Small like a child - like her sister.

She wouldn't activate her Byakugan; she didn't want to confirm it. _Not yet not yet, please don't let it be Hinata._

As the man came swiftly closer Hanabi sucked in oxygen so rapidly she was almost panting. The woman was average sized (without a doubt _not_ her sister) it was the man holding her in his arms that seemed to dwarf her with his massive build.

He dropped to his knees seven meters from the gates panting; seemingly unable to continue. The medics rushed to him. Hanabi watched curiously now that the danger was averted.

Two of the medics took the woman from the man's arms and moved her to a stretcher as the other two tended to him. They took off the jacket the woman was wearing and started a preliminary check of her condition. They deemed it serious enough to leave immediately though not back through the gates. Hanabi brushed it off as an ANBU thing as that was the unmistakable uniform the man wore.

They left so fast they forgot to take the woman's jacket. Hanabi walked over and crouched down to examine it curiously. It was soaked through with blood of varying degrees of dryness but there was something about it. It had a hood and matted fur hemmed the bottom. Almost like her sister's but that was impossible. That man was ANBU, what would Hinata be doing with a member of the Assassination Tactics Special Military Force?

There was only one way to be sure it wasn't her's. Hinata's jacket held a detail that would be illegal for anyone else to wear. Hanabi slowly lifted the soiled garment, certain she wouldn't find what she was looking for and yet there it was, blood stained but clear as day. She started to shake. There, on the shoulder of the jacket was the Hyuuga clan symbol.

One of the guards walked up to her, she suddenly couldn't remember which one he was. Her eyes were large and teary, as she studied his face. "Hey, you still here kid?" She blinked and looked back down at Hinata's jacket mutely. He followed her gaze and bent down in front of her. "Why don't you hand that over to me huh?"

Hanabi jerked away from him and clutched the jacket tightly to her chest. He started at her reaction to his words and opened his mouth to speak again. Hanabi beat him to it, "This is my sister's jacket." She spoke defiantly, tears threatening to spill.

The guard raised an eyebrow at her, bewildered. He looked at the jacket again and sure enough there was the Hyuuga crest. He nodded and stood. "You're more than welcome to sit in the booth with us for a while if you want." She watched him in silence for a while. What was that look in his eyes? It was an expression she had never seen before. Hanabi watched as he turned to walk away, she stood to follow him, burying her face in her sister's bloody jacket and crying silently.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

**Chapter IV**

The midday sun shown down on Team seven as they walked through the gates happily. They were home after the successful completion of their first real mission. Spirits were high as they made their way over to the check-in booth. They showed their identification and turned to go but their path was blocked.

A child stood in their way. When Naruto caught sight of her, he started to sweat and back up nervously. He whispered fearfully to Sakura, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" She didn't respond, still trying to process the scene in front of her with wide frightened eyes. Even the impassive Uchiha Sasuke froze as flashbacks of that night fought for control.

What was so disturbing about the child was the jacket that draped her small frame. It was several sizes too big for the girl and covered in unmistakable brown and black stains. However if the origins of said stains did not immediately come to you, the sharp, bitter smell would bring it harshly to the forefront of you mind. Blood.

"I-It's a g-g-ghost, Sakura-chan!" The child's red-rimmed white eyes stared at the ridiculous blonde's display emotionlessly.

Hatake Kakashi looked up from his inappropriate little orange book and said, "No Naruto, it's a Hyuuga."

"Hyuuga? What's with the coat?" he asked, still suspicious. Then he brightened suddenly. "Hey do you know Hinata-chan?"

Hanabi's eyes widened and abruptly filled with tears. "Do you know my sister," she asked with fervor, clutching the jacket she wore.

"I didn't know Hinata-chan had a sister," Sakura stated. "What's your name?"

These people knew her sister, her sister she may never see again. Hanabi would treat these people as an extension of Hinata until she came back. She would cooperate without hesitance in the hope that if she never did see Hinata again maybe she would forgive her for what she said. And so she answered the question that was asked of her, "Hanabi."

"Hinata and Hanabi, that's so cute. And they're Hyuuga, so both of their initials are H.H. That's cool; I wish my initials were N.N, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile that ate the rest of his face. Hanabi studied him like he was a new species she discovered on the side of the road, which in hindsight was not too far off.

"Why is your coat covered in blood?" Sasuke unexpectedly spoke up. Naruto and Sakura turned to their teammate in surprise. Sasuke was usually not one to stick around for idle chatter with seemingly unimportant people. However his comment brought their attention back to the more important aspect of the child in front of them.

Hanabi looked down at it and clutched it closer to her body. "It's not mine," she answered. "You probably can't recognize it in its current state, but this is my sister's jacket." She looked up to watch their expressions turn worried. Even their sensei looked up from his book again.

"What does that mean?" Sakura asked nervously.

"I was told that most of this is not her blood," Hanabi spoke softly and gestured to the dark stains before continuing with a lost expression, "but her mission was supposed to have ended three days ago and she is still not back." She turned her head to the gate guards for confirmation and they gave her that look again.

"I'm sorry, Hana-chibi," Hagane Kotetsu called her this because he knew it irritated her; she has just been too numb recently to react much, "there has been no news." Hanabi looked down again in disappointed anguish.

"Don't worry so much, Hana-chibi." Naruto picked up her nickname with a grin, he decided he liked it. Maybe he'd start calling Konohamaru Kono-chibi. That was a sure way to rile the brat up. "We were delayed a few days ourselves because Kaka-sensei was tired."

"That's right Hanabi-chan; a Shinobi must always be prepared for unexpected delays." Sakura smiled at the little girl, "I'm sure Hinata's fine."

Kakashi stuck his face in his book again as he walked until he was parallel to her; facing the opposite direction. "We are heading to Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate the successful completion of our mission, I'm buying, so you should come too." He then started to walk away.

He was quickly overtaken by Naruto who screamed in excitement about free ramen as he passed. The rest followed with a sigh including Hanabi as she smiled for the first time since Hinata left.

* * *

The celebration didn't last long before Kakashi was called away on official business. Of course he only left after surreptitiously leaving a substantial amount of money for them to enjoy themselves on as promised. He was proud of their accomplishments. He just hoped they didn't get used to the treatment.

When Kakashi returned he stood outside for a while to watch the four children interact. The youngest was grinning brightly at something Naruto was describing with vigor. Sakura was blushing as she attempted to charm the Uchiha once again and Sasuke seemed his same stoic self as he steadily ignored the girl.

His heart dropped with an almost physical pain because he knew the news he brought would in the best case scenario destroy a little piece of their childhood and in the worst case, shatter it completely. He closed his eyes as he remembered his own experience in this field. At least they didn't have to watch it.

When he finally worked up the courage to enter the premises, he spoke to them slowly and seriously, "I have important information I need to tell you. We leave now." He then turned to address Hanabi specifically, "Perhaps you should hear this from someone you know a little better."

Her eyes widened severely as she reached out to grip his sleeve tightly in her small fist. "Please, Kakashi-san, if it is bad news, please don't make me hear it from my father."

He nodded, assuming that she probably didn't want to show weakness in front of her father. "Follow me." He stated simply before taking off.

When they reached a secluded training ground, purposely at a distance from the memorial stone, Kakashi stopped and turned around to face the four anxious children in front of him. His signature orange book wasn't in sight.

He took a deep breath and decided to just get the important fact out first; details could come later if they were needed. "Hyuuga Hinata is currently missing in action." There was silence for a while as bodies froze and eyes widened.

Sasuke was the first one to speak. "What happened?"

Of all those present, Sasuke was the one Kakashi expected to have the least emotional reaction. And yet his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his head was tilted down so that his hair shadowed his eyes in the mid-afternoon sun and a vein jumped wildly on his neck as he ground his teeth.

Kakashi's voice was emotionless as he started again, "Specific details are classified but I can tell you that her team was attacked and in the chaos she was separated from her two teammates. When the fighting stopped, they were unable to locate her."

A ragged sob tore itself out of Hanabi. Sakura caught her as she fell and held her tightly as she struggled with her own tears. Naruto didn't seem to know what to do with himself, his whole body was frozen in shocked disbelief. Nothing like this was supposed to happen to his friends.

Kakashi closed his eyes briefly then crouched to look the youngest in the eye. He did not particularly like crying children, they were loud and messy and whenever he met one on the street, he would immediately change direction. However, he knew this child's pain, had experienced it for himself and it was real.

"They scoured the area and did not find her body, Hanabi-san. That means there is a good chance she is still alive. They are assembling a search and rescue team as we speak, I am a part of that team." She opened her eyes and nodded mutely at him. "That means that the three of you will work with other teams until I return. You will have three days to yourself, on the fourth day meet at the regular time and place and your temporary sensei will meet you there." They nodded in confirmation silently. "Dismissed," and then he was gone.

They didn't disperse right away, still in shock. Konoha wasn't at war, things like this weren't supposed to happen to fresh out of the academy Genin.

Naruto sat down heavily, large blue eyes turned to the sky in disbelief. Hanabi and Sakura still clung to each other. Sasuke turned and walked away without a word.

* * *

Kurenai sat with her head in her hands at her brand new mahogany kitchen table, she was in shock. How could this have happened? Why would her gentlest student accept such a dangerous mission? What was going through her mind? It didn't make any sense, and now the worst possible outcome has manifested itself; Hinata's team had returned without her.

She looked up and hugged herself in despair. Across from her a full bookcase was pushed up against the wall. There resting atop a row of books lay three pristinely white envelopes.

A new wave of pain washed over her as she remembered what they were and that it was her job to disperse them. Hinata knew exactly what she was doing. _How could I be so blind?_

* * *

Hanabi was dragging her feet somberly in the general direction of the Hyuuga compound when a woman stepped in her way. "Hanabi-san," she spoke, "my name is Yuuhi Kurenai. I'm Hinata's Jounin instructor." Hanabi eyed the woman dully, not particularly in the mood to receive condolences for the loss of her sister, yet at the same time, devoid of the energy required to start walking again.

Kurenai swallowed the lump in her throat with difficulty. "Before she left, Hinata left me these." She showed the child the three unopened letters in her hand and Hanabi's eyes zeroed in on the objects. "One of them has your name on it." She presented said marked letter but Hanabi didn't reach for it.

Kurenai hesitated unsure of what to do, then lowered her hand. "I understand that you may not want to read it now. However if you change your mind, let me know. I'll keep it safe 'till then."

As she turned to leave a small hand latched onto her long red sleeve. Kurenai looked down but the child wouldn't meet her gaze, instead her free hand reached out, palm up. "I'll take it n-ow." Her voice was hollow, but try as she might, she couldn't prevent it from cracking at the end.

Kurenai nodded and placed the delicate envelope in the child's tiny hand. When she was released, they parted in silence. Kurenai heaved a heavy sigh. Now that the letter with the highest priority was delivered, it was time to inform her team and read the letter assigned to them. She eyed the third, baffling letter with uncertainty. She decided it could wait and stuffed it in the folds of her wrap for later.

* * *

Hanabi cried herself to sleep that night as would become her routine for many nights to come. In her letter, Hinata apologized for striking her. She explained that she was not strong or fast enough to find a better way of stopping her actions in time, though she did not clarify why she thought Hanabi's actions were in need of punishment.

In her letter, Hinata repeated over and over again how much she loved her little sister and that she was sorry she was unable to live up to expectations, that it didn't seem to be in her nature. In the last lines, Hinata asked for forgiveness for leaving her alone in the event of her death. Hanabi couldn't help but hate herself for making her most cherished person in the world apologize so much, and for things that weren't even her fault.

* * *

Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba took the news hard. Shino arched into himself and stumbled as he walked away. In the distance they could hear the Inuzuka hounds howl in synch with Kiba and Akamaru's anguished cries.

The letter addressed to them described how sorry she was for being a burden, and that she would do everything in her power to make her mission a successful one…even if it was the last thing she did. She wanted them to understand that she was happy they cared for her (as they were among the few who did) but she pleaded that if her mission was successful, that they would treat her as an equal.

Her request stung, but Kurenai could clearly see where it came from. They had all thought of her as a delicate little doll that needed protection. Why? Because she was shy? One's disposition was not an accurate measure of their skill. Their constant protection of her would only serve to weaken her. Kurenai could see the reason in that, so why was it so hard to accept?

As her two remaining students separated to grieve alone, Kurenai reached into her wrap to retrieve the final letter. She really hated this job, she decided. It was bad enough dispersing the final words of someone you know, it was all the more worse to do it for one of your students. Hinata was still just a child.

The final letter was the thickest of the three. The name on its front, written neatly in black ink, was not someone Kurenai knew Hinata to associate with. Her feet began trudging in the proper direction, seemingly of their own accord. If the search team came back empty handed, Hinata's name would be engraved on the memorial stone. She didn't know if she could handle that. A fact that was puzzling in itself.

Kurenai grew up during the Second Great Shinobi World War. She had been there when the Kyuubi no Youko attacked their homeland. She should be immune to this kind of thing by now, right? That didn't appear to be the case.

Her feet stopped outside of a pair of worn and tarnished gates. The Uchiha crest stood starkly against its walls.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

Chapter V

The knock on the door of the house Sasuke had lived his whole life, startled him. Not many people ventured through the haunted gates of the previously thriving Uchiha clan. He winced as he stood from a wooden chair in his desolate kitchen. His knuckles bled profusely, staining the white bandages wrapped tightly around them. His shins throbbed as the blood pooled under his skin in cruel black bruises. His steps wobbled down the dark hallway as he struggled with severe chakra depletion.

A woman he didn't recognize stood on his porch so he started to close the door again. She stuck her foot in the way before it shut all the way. Not having the energy to fight with the woman, he walked back into his house and painfully lowered himself into his previously occupied chair. Kurenai followed him; her eyes never leaving his beaten form. She was familiar with this form of grieving. Just what was Hinata's relationship with the last Uchiha of Konoha?

She placed herself cautiously on the other side of the table. Uchiha Sasuke was a wild card; she had no idea what he would do so she spoke to him as cautiously as she stood, "What happened to you?" He didn't even look at her, and gave her no answer.

Kurenai didn't know if he'd passed out or not but decided she would do what she came here to do. Whether he was conscious or not wouldn't matter much in the long run. The letter would still be there when he woke up. "Hinata left this for you." She placed it on the table and left when he failed to move at all.

Sasuke looked at the white patch on his dark cherry wood table, not completely sure if it was real or not. He watched the envelope until he fell asleep.

When he emerged from the shroud of nightmares, a day had gone by and it was dark again. His joints cracked loudly as he moved and the pain of his injuries was instrumental in clearing his mind. He noticed the envelope was still there but didn't move to pick it up. Instead, he got up, took a shower, re-bandaged his injuries and left to get some food. On his way out he noted idly that it was still there.

And when he came back, it hadn't moved. Sasuke reached down and brushed his fingertips lightly against the subtly grainy surface. Why, after four years of nothing, did she leave a letter with his name on it? What did she want him to know in the event of her death that she couldn't tell him during her life?

Sasuke didn't understand why she left him alone after that night so he had assumed the worst of her; that because he no longer had a powerful clan, she had no reason to stay close with him. But they were just children, stuff like that hadn't mattered to them then. He found it hard to believe that the shy, stuttering girl he would watch out of the corner of his eye in the academy was capable of such blind discrimination. Then again, she had always been friendly with the Aburame and Inuzuka.

He shoved the whole table away in fury. Why should he care what she had to say to him? She was dead for all he knew, anything she had to say now would be useless.

Sasuke woke in the middle of the night panting hard. His dreams had been filled with Hinata. They were toddlers, no older than two or three, playing ninja with stuffed, plushie kunai in the gardens of the Uchiha compound. One of the toys was thrown into the bordering forest by accident so they went to retrieve it. They searched and searched but couldn't find it.

When he raised his head to tell Hinata to give up on it, she was gone. Panic swarmed him. He ran as fast as he could in a random direction and came out into a brightly lit clearing. She was there, kneeling in a patch of flowers and they were older now.

Hinata had been waiting for him it seemed. She looked up and gave him the same brilliant smile as the one she had when he saw her last. She opened her mouth to say something but he couldn't hear anything. Her lips moved and no sound came out.

He kneeled in front of her and held her face desperately. What was she _saying_? He needed to know. Then her eyes started to bleed, then her nose and ears. Her smile only broke when she started to cough up blood. Her hands shot up to hold his tightly in place and the sky darkened menacingly. She threw her head back and screamed.

He hadn't heard the screams of the Uchiha massacre – they were all dead by the time he arrived - but he had always imagined them to be like this. It was loud and scared and filled to the brim with pain. It still rang in his ears even now as he was fully awake.

He stumbled out of bed and clutched his rapidly beating heart as he made his way out of his bedroom and down the stairs. When he made it to the kitchen, Sasuke reached for the envelope without hesitation. He wasn't superstitious, he just _needed_ to know. He pulled out the letter and started to read.

_Sasuke,_

_It has been much to long since I have made any sort of contact with you, it has been much to long since I have even been allowed to look at you. For that, I deeply apologize. However, I understand that nothing I write here today will excuse my abandonment of you. To be honest, I don't want you to forgive me. My actions are unforgivable. _

_I am such a coward Sasuke. I should not have given up in fear of my father. I should have been able to endure the punishments. I am sorry I'm so weak. You have done nothing to deserve such treatment. You deserve someone strong that will stand by your side. Someone who would do everything and endure anything to stay with you, who wouldn't let anyone get in the way. I am sorry that I couldn't be that person for you._

_Know that ever since that night when they tore us apart, there has never been a day that I have not thought of you; that I have not yearned to hear your voice. It has been many years since I have heard you speak more than a few worlds and all I know is your high childish voice. What do you sound like now Sasuke? _

_It pains me to see you every day, and not be able to speak with you, to interact with you or even look at you for any amount of time. It physically pains me. _

_I cannot live like this for much longer. I accepted this mission so that it may mark a change in my life. Any change at all. Death would be welcome at this point. I cannot live chained down by my father's will. What is the point of living if you're not allowed to love the one person that would make it all worthwhile? And I do love you Sasuke. I have loved you since the day I met you, and I will love you until the day I die, however far away that day may be._

The first page ended there, and the second only had one thing on it. It was a familiar seal drawn with simple strokes on a much heavier paper. He remembered it but vaguely as it had been so long since he'd seen it. He set the page aside and started again.

_Do you remember this seal Sasuke? My mother introduced it to us because of the tantrums we would throw at the end of the day when they tried to separate us. When applied to the skin it allows the user to feel the heartbeat of a second person with the same variation of the seal. _

_Little did our mothers know, it only encouraged us to sneak into each other's room at night to watch our seals glow in time with each other. I miss how simple things were back then. Everything was so much easier._

_I understand if you want nothing to do with me and if that is the case I will not try to convince you otherwise. Just know that if I survive this mission, even if you don't see me I will always guard your back. I don't want things to stay the way they are and so I will do everything in my power to help you with whatever causes you trouble._

_As soon as I finish this letter I will draw the seal on my left wrist with a semi permanent ink. If there is any possible chance that you ever want anything to do with me again, let me feel your heartbeat and I will make sure that I make it back to you alive. If you put the seal on your skin Sasuke, I swear to you I will never abandon you again, no matter the punishment you see fit for my actions._

_Hinata_

Sasuke's hands were shaking by the time he finished reading. He had thought she simply stopped seeing him because she no longer had an interest in him and yet all this time...and what was the punishment she spoke briefly of? What was so bad that it would make her take this mission when she knew it could be her end? What had they done to her?

He remembered waking up in the hospital, after the massacre, holding her and her holding him. He remembered when the man with eyes like Hinata came in the room with a team of nurses. They clung to each other as hard as they could, bawling their eyes out, but they were much stronger. The man left with her screaming and then it abruptly stopped. He had always wondered what the man did to make her stop.

Then there was the matter of the seal. He remembered it now and it was a sure way to tell if she was still alive. If she was, did he really want her in his life again? Bonds were dangerous, they made people weaker but Hinata wasn't just anybody. She was there the night of The Massacre and she had always spent more time at the Uchiha compound than the Hyuuga. There was a period of time that she was more Uchiha than Hyuuga.

He knew the love she spoke of was not the kind of love a wife had for her husband, nor was it the kind of naive, adolescent love that burned brightly and died quickly. It was the kind of love that that was built on shared pain. The kind that consumed their beings until they were inseparable, urging them to sneak out of their rooms at night and run across the village to share each other's bed as soon as they learned how to open their windows. Unflinching loyalty, shared understanding of tragedy and circumstance. It was the kind of love that allowed them to survive The Uchiha Massacre. And it was all ripped away from them before it could grow into anything more.

They had lived for each other and he would be lying if he said her absence hadn't thoroughly torn him apart. He needed her, so he would give her what she needed to make it back alive. When she was back, they would make everything right again.

He stood to gather the supplies he needed in his bedroom. Very carefully, he recreated the seal on his right wrist, where it had been many times before. Sasuke put the brush down and watched the black ink dry on his starkly white skin. This was always the tedious part, he recalled, as a child it was difficult to wait the many minutes it took to fully dry. He found that even now the suspense was annoying.

When it finally dried he bit his thumb to draw blood but hesitated. What if she was already dead? Sasuke didn't want to think about that scenario just yet, after all that he had come to understand from her letter. Life was never fair though was it? Why should this go right when everything else in his life has been shot to hell? But Uchiha Sasuke was not one to indulge in false hope so he smeared his bloodied thumb over his wrist determinedly, before he could think of any more possible outcomes.

He watched as the seal absorbed his blood and glowed dully before going black again. This was normal, he knew, but his heart still sped up uncontrollably. There had always been a time delay and this was sure to be the longest because she was the farthest away she had ever been. How long did he have to wait though? What if her seal wasn't responding because she was dead?

After sixty, meticulously counted, seconds had past and there was still no response, he stood up sharply, spilling the uncapped jar of ink over the surface of his expensive dark wood table. His heart was in his throat and he suddenly felt ill.

Sasuke slid slowly down the nearest wall and held his head in his hands. Was she really gone? Of course she was, these things always happened to him. Fate was too cruel. Why did he ever have to open the envelope? He could have lived without the truth if she was dead. He sat there for several minutes unmoving before he felt something.

The foreign heartbeat came very slow and when he looked down to watch the blue glow of the second beat, it was too pale. So she was alive. However it didn't seem like she would stay that way for long with such a slow heartbeat. Would he be forced to watch her heartbeat die out?

Then suddenly he noticed that they were starting to come faster…and faster, until he could feel her heart pound erratically against his wrist. She was fighting to live, because she had promised him she would.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

Chapter VI

Six Weeks. Hyuuga Hinata had not stepped foot in Konohagakure no Sato for six weeks. The search team sent out returned ten days after their departure empty handed. They were able to follow her trail only fifteen kilometers into Kusa – only thirty kilometers from where her team lost her in Ame – before they lost it completely.

It was typical for Kusa to be ravaged by severe storms this time of year and the trail was already three weeks old by the time they got there. Even with the use of Kakashi's Ninken and the Hyuuga's Byakugan, they were unsuccessful.

Such a severe storm season would in itself be difficult to survive if unprepared, but there were also signs that she was being heavily pursued. This was proven when they found a body in the clearing that they lost her trail in. The man's heart had exploded messily, the blow wild and obviously delivered without proper form. She had been desperate and scared.

Hinata would have been presumed dead and her name engraved in the memorial stone had it not been for Sasuke. He informed the Hokage of the seal, the morning after he'd applied it. She was still alive, her heartbeat strong and steady, they just couldn't find her.

Because of this fact, the Hokage was forced to consider another possibility. She was alive and in possession of a highly important scroll. Such a scroll could completely shatter the safety of Konoha's citizens. As much as Sarutobi hated the idea it was his job to think of the potential scenarios. There was a chance that Hyuuga Hinata had gone rogue.

It was highly improbable but the fact is she chose to run into Kusa instead of any of her other, safer options. She was a fresh out of the Academy Genin, who could she possibly know enough to betray the village for? Actually…Hyuuga Hinata happened to be in a very peculiar situation in that regard. And she was headed right for them.

* * *

The Rookie Nine had taken to wearing a band of white cloth around their necks in support of Hinata's continued survival; all except for Sasuke that is. They wore it as a sign of hope that she would make it back to them alive. He didn't need such a thing because he had no doubt in his mind that she would.

It was Wednesday, the anniversary of her departure. On this day, for the past three weeks, they all gathered at Ichiraku in a sort of vigil for her. They even managed to drag Sasuke along, though admittedly, he didn't put up much of a fight.

They had all been informed of Hinata's status of life but none of them, not even the senseis were informed of the seal he wore on his wrist; newly applied as of two days ago. As he took a seat at the counter, he absently wondered how she kept her seal in working condition. She obviously didn't have access to the proper semi-permanent ink out in the wild wherever the hell she was. He scolded himself inwardly at the thought. Hinata has been alone in foreign country for six weeks; of course she didn't have access to such materials! _So then how is she doing it, _he wondered.

He ate silently and observed the scene around him. They were all smiling and happy. Had they already forgotten what they were here for? He scowled and looked away. These children didn't know real pain, why should they worry for her. They were informed she was alive and that seemed to be enough for them. What if she had been horribly disfigured, would they understand then?

He noticed the three Jounin sat in a far corner and observed their charges with soft almost sad smiles. Kakashi met his gaze and held it. His sensei suddenly tensed and Sasuke stretched his senses to discover the cause.

Shouts coming from the directions of the gates, then an alarm was being sounded. Everyone in the restaurant stilled immediately. The gate guards were chasing someone, and they were heading rapidly in their direction.

Weapons were drawn all around him. He could hear the_ thunk_ of kunai missing their target and he had yet to even reach for his weapon's pouch. Seconds before Kakashi tensed, Sasuke felt Hinata's heart beat speed up significantly. Was that a coincidence?

Everyone faced the flaps at the entrance of the restaurant. The more rowdy of the Genin were held back by their senseis from running into the street and confronting the enemy.

A sudden breeze whipped at the flaps erratically. A figure appeared below them. She was crouched; both hands and feet on the ground, elbows and knees bent. She was covered in dirt and twigs in a way that would allow her to meld perfectly into the forest. Two katana were positioned hilt first, their blades running back along her arms. Her short hair was dirty and tousled. With the current position of her head, her bangs shaded her eyes and most of her face. She straightened slowly; head still tilted and spoke only one word:

"Tadaima"

Her voice was soft, even as she stood there panting harshly, her ribs starkly visible in an obvious sign of malnutrition. No one had time to react before she turned around sharply to confront those who had chased her from the gate as they finally caught up. This action revealed her mutilated back to the Rookie Nine.

Her shirt was ANBU grade, but it had been torn to a point that revealed a large portion of her back. The seal started on her lower back and traveled outwards in spokes of Kanji. Two smaller spokes reached out to each of her sides and one large one traced her spine all the way up. The seal appeared to have been branded onto her as the skin around it was severely burned and bleeding.

"Drop your weapons!" One of the men standing outside the boundaries of the restaurant shouted threateningly. Sasuke watched as she slowly raised her arms out to her sides. He realized then that she wasn't actually _holding_ the two Katana. They were strapped to her forearms with the protective metal mesh typically sewn into ANBU vests, which would explain her state of undress.

The Shinobi outside didn't seem to see this and saw her actions as a refusal to cooperate. Two of them separated from the group to charge at her, weapons raised. They stopped abruptly when a figure appeared between them and their target.

"Get out of the way brat!"

The Shinobi yelled at him, so Sasuke yelled back, "Open your eyes idiot! Don't you know who this is?" The crowd looked back at the girl to try and see if she resembled anyone they knew.

Sasuke ignored them and turned his attention to the girl again. When he spoke his voice rang clear in the silence. "Hinata."

She smiled, causing her chapped lips to crack and bleed lightly. "Sasuke," she whispered hoarsely. Hinata lifted her head and Sasuke was slammed with his recurring dream. Her eyes were red where the blood had pooled into the sclera and iris, sharp red lines framed her eyes where the Byakugan veins would appear. Her gaze was unfocused. "I made it back."

"Yeah," he said, "Okaeri." The others watched them in shock. Two of the previously attacking Shinobi left to inform the Hokage of her sudden arrival.

Hinata was still breathing heavily. She shook violently with exhaustion. When her knees gave out from under her Sasuke wrapped his arms around her to catch her. She cried out in pain at his firm grip on her back.

They slid to the ground with each other, Sasuke not knowing how to support her with her injured back. He started to release his grip on her but she protested his movement by throwing her arms around and clinging tightly to him, her hands fisting in his shirt. The katana fastened to her arms jutted out from their embrace in sharp angles.

"Don't let go, please don't let go of me Sasuke," she whispered desperately in his ear, her breath fanning against his neck. He nodded and they stayed like that as the others scurried around them. She passed out soon after and a group of ANBU came to 'escort' her to the hospital. Sasuke carried her because she still clung tightly to him in her sleep.

* * *

She woke up in the hospital room when two nurses started their examination of her condition. Sasuke moved to let her down on a hospital bed. She didn't resist but kept a firm hold of his wrist, staring blankly ahead.

One of the nurses, a stout woman with gray hair bound tightly lifted her unoccupied arm gently. Hinata ripped away on reflex. "Relax," the nurse cooed softly, "we have to release you of those weapons, they are causing you harm." Hinata tilted her head slightly like she didn't believe it. She gave her arm back to the nurse; she only startled her with her touch anyway. Hinata didn't completely feel like resisting medical attention at the moment.

The second, much younger, nurse stood back with a clipboard to record the process. The metal mesh cut deeply into Hinata's flesh. The nurse had to tug to get it off, ripping the skin that was trying to heal around the metal. It caused a sick squelching sound that made Sasuke flinch inwardly and yet Hinata hardly seemed to notice.

When the three binds on her left forearm were removed they discovered that the katana was in fact, very rare; it was double edged. The nurses gasped and muttered collectively in surprise. The older one frowned and muttered something under her breathe that sounded like 'Shinobi' and 'masochist.'

Hinata tilted her head in confusion, eyebrows scrunched together. "I do not understand what you mean Nurse-san." The nurse widened her eyes and Sasuke stared at the girl who still held him in surprise. He was standing right next to her and hadn't been able to fully make out what the nurse said. He also noted the lack of the stutter he'd heard at the academy. Not that that was such a big deal; she had never stuttered when they were younger.

"I am not a masochist, Nurse-san. I bound them to my arms when I lost the ability to grip them. I apologize if that upsets you." The nurse's face colored with shame. "Besides, it never hurt to begin with, so I cannot be considered someone who enjoys inflicting pain on themselves." Hinata leaned back and flexed her fingers in demonstration. It caused blood to ooze a little faster out of her arm.

The nurse exclaimed in protest and began to heal the abused limb. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. However, regardless if it hurts or not, your body is damaged. As your nurse I insist you don't move excessively or I will have you restrained." Hinata nodded in compliance. "My name is Togi Kangoshi."

"My name is Hyuuga Hinata." The nurse nodded and moved to start on her right arm. She decided it was best to work around the child's grip on the boy instead of asking her to break it. The katana on this side was not double edged.

Her injuries were vast, ranging from broken ribs to her bloody bare feet. Malnutrition stretched her skin tight over her two broken ribs pronouncing them starkly along with her collar bone and arms. "I ate nearly every day," she explained, "It just wasn't enough to counter the amount of ground I was covering."

The nurses switched places when Kangoshi was unable to go on. Hinata's back seemed to give her enough pain so as to block out the majority of the effects of her other injuries. They examined it thoroughly, and did what they could but it seemed that the only real help would come from a Fuuinjutsu master.

They moved on to her obviously damaged eyes. The concussion was severe but easily enough to fix. However her eyes…

"Hinata-san, you're blind."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: the Naruto manga and anime series belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

Chapter VII

_It hurt to breathe but she pushed the air in and out through sheer force of will. How many days has it been? How long has she been running? How much longer could she possibly last? These questions were insignificant. All that mattered was that she kept moving. _

_She could still feel their chakra at the edge of her senses as they hunted her like an animal. _

_Her eyes stung sharply, yet she did not dare deactivate her Byakugan; she could not afford it. A thick liquid dripped down her cheek startling her. Was she crying? No. She had not shed a tear since the first night of her mission when she woke from Hanabi's abandonment of her. _

_So why had she started now? No. She reached a hand to her face, smearing the thick liquid. Blood. Her eyes were bleeding. She let out a cry of despair that caused her Byakugan to deactivate. _

_The world closing around her after so long in activation was so startling a change she didn't notice it at first. Only when she tripped over a fallen log and her head slammed into the trunk of a tree, did she realize something was wrong. Her vision was obscured by something. When had it gotten darker? The trees flickered in time with her rapid heartbeat. _

'_Oh Kami no, please not this. No. No.' And yet she should have expected it to happen. She should have prepared properly like a true Hyuuga. Why was she so pathetic? Now her miniscule chances of surviving just dwindled from nil to zero. _

_Her pursuers were almost on top of her now. So she got up and started to run again. She tripped again but caught herself and corrected before she fell. It was no use she couldn't continue her pace in this condition. So she activated her Byakugan, knowing the risks and continued on. The pain mingled together with the excruciating seal that was slowly stretching along her back as the days passed._

_She allowed hot tears to mix with the fresh blood on her face._

* * *

"Hinata-san, you're blind." The nurse had a horrified look on her face. She knew of the Hyuuga; knew the weight they held for their eyes. She continued in an obviously nervous way. "The-the damage is likely – it is possible that it may heal, but it will take time. I'm not qualified to give you an accurate estimation of how long it will take. I'm sorry Hyuuga-san. You'll likely have to give up being a Kunoichi." She said this as she started to wrap a bandage around her eyes to protect them from harsh light.

Beside Hinata, Sasuke grimaced. He looked down at her hand on his wrist. Her grip had not changed, her face was blank. He could have easily mistaken it for shock had he not had instant access to her heart rate. It was calm, steady. Had she already come to this conclusion on her own? Had she already accepted it?

When Hinata spoke, her voice almost sounded amused, "You are mistaken." The nurse frowned and opened her mouth to protest. Hinata cut her off. "I am not blind. There is more than one way to see. A part of my sight is damaged, you are right. I cannot see what color your hair is or the style of clothing you wear.

"However, I know that it was sewn together by an old woman who has pain in her joints. I know exactly where you are standing. I know that your heartbeat just escalated by four beats a minute. I know that while Kangoshi-san was attending me, you stared immodestly at the ANBU operate closest to the door."

The young nurse, who had not bothered to introduce herself to Hinata, blushed fiercely and took a step back as Hinata stood from the hospital bed. Her hand left Sasuke's wrist.

Hinata leaned closer to her and whispered not so quietly, "If it makes you feel any better, his chakra shifted when he caught you." Hinata smiled strangely, then her right arm shot out and a glass jar of cotton swabs adjacent to it exploded, sending shards flying. She straightened, her smile gone, eyes hard. "Never. Don't you ever tell me that I am useless as a Shinobi." Her voice was hard and yet there was an almost desperate twinge to it.

Eyes staring blankly ahead, Hinata backed up until she leaned against the hospital bed next to Sasuke, their arms brushing. His gaze followed her intently.

The ANBU at the head of the pack, the one closest to them spoke. "Hokage-sama is waiting for your mission report. As you appear well, we will escort you to his office."

Hinata nodded but then stepped in front of Sasuke. Her hands slowly reached out to gently cup his face. He tensed as she looked at him, her bandaged gaze not meeting his. "As soon as I am able." Her voice was gentle and firm. He nodded silently, understanding that she would come to him as soon as she was allowed.

Then she turned and left with the ANBU.

* * *

Hinata had entered the Hyuuga compound late last night. It was unlikely that anyone noticed her as she now has the knowledge of how to completely erase her chakra signature. It was an unnervingly rare ability; she liked it.

After so many weeks sleeping on the hard ground of unfamiliar territory, her bed was much too soft. She wasn't used to a lot of sleep now-a-days anyway, so she sat on the floor and leaned against her bed for the rest of the night. She was washed as a part of the healing process but she didn't yet feel like changing out of the clothes that had spent the last six weeks on her body. It was something familiar in this now unfamiliar world.

She felt the sun's light through her window as it rose above the horizon. The Hyuugas would be awake now. Hinata could feel them stirring all over the compound. She decided she should finally change out of her mission clothes and meet them for breakfast.

It was going to be hot today, her bandages were already stifling and the excess weight of her jacket would be uncomfortable, so she opted to leave her jacket behind. When she reached her closet, she remembered that she couldn't wear it anyway. She and Rinkusu-san, the female ANBU operative that was on her team with the lynx mask, had traded their outer wear when she was wounded and had to be taken back. 'The vest will protect you better,' she had said.

She pulled a dark training shirt over her head and pulled on a pair of pants similar to her regular ones. Her feet remained bare. It helped her 'see.'

As she was about to leave the room, her hand raised to the left side of her face. A healed cut rested on the apple of her cheek and stretched almost all the way back to the top of her ear. It had sliced off her left side bangs so that they clung tightly to her head. It was the cause of the nasty seal on her back. It was also a reminder of how beat up she must look. The nurses said that it hadn't scarred much, as it wasn't very deep. Still, Hinata hoped it wouldn't bother Hanabi too much; that was of course if Hanabi even cared anymore.

When she reached the door to the dining hall Hinata didn't hesitate as she slid it open. She stood in the door way briefly as the subtle noise of clanking utensils stopped abruptly at her appearance. They really hadn't noticed her it would seem.

Hanabi broke the silence as she stood and shouted in shock. "Onee-chan!" Hinata smiled to herself. The 'chan' suffix was reassuring; she hadn't called her 'san' as was traditional. Nobody seemed keen on correcting her at the moment; even her father's chakra, at the head of the table, spasmed in surprise at the sudden news of his eldest daughter's return.

Hanabi ran around the long table, from where she sat at her father's left, to embrace her older sister tightly. Hinata sucked in a sharp breath at her little sister's unexpectedly hard grip. If she wasn't already blind, Hinata would have seen spots in her vision from the sheer pain. Hanabi jerked back in surprise at her reaction. Was her Onee-chan really hurt?

Before Hanabi could let go completely, Hinata placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulders. She leaned down to whisper so only they could hear in the room of observers. "I'm happy that you are glad to have me back, Imouto-chan." Hinata gave her a brilliant smile and stood before she could reply. "Let us eat Imouto-chan," she said regularly and Hanabi was surprised at her sister's bold show of casual endearment in front of so much of the clan. "I am positively starved."

They walked side by side to their places on either side of their father. Hinata helped herself to the food laid out on the table, seemingly unbothered by the attention on her, though her senses were buzzing in heightened awareness.

She seemed to be the only one making noise in the entire hall until Hiashi, her father head of the Hyuuga clan, spoke, "I was not informed of your arrival." His voice was cold as it always was. He did not start eating again.

"I was not released until late last night." Her voice was equally empty.

What were once considered quiet, subtle noises of the dining hall now seemed unusually loud to Hinata, as they resumed.

"Your eyes," he started stiffly. "When are they expected to be fully operational again?"

This was of course the question she had been waiting for. Hinata was honestly surprised that it wasn't the first thing he'd said to her as soon as he saw the bandages. She responded to the previously most terrifying being in her existence unconcernedly, "The nurses at the hospital are not sure they will heal. They seemed utterly convinced that I was blind."

Silence again and yet Hiashi didn't seem overly worried; random medics of the village were inferior in his eyes anyway. "You will be examined properly as soon as possible." Hinata simply nodded in acceptance.

When her father motioned for his tea to be refilled, he spoke again. "You did not stutter." Hanabi turned to her sister in surprise; she was so relieved, she hadn't noticed. Hinata took her time finishing her last piece of toast before replying.

"That Otou-sama, is because I just spent four weeks being chased through several foreign countries, blind, and in the worst pain of my life." She stood and bowed to her father. "I have little left to fear from you." It was completely silent again as she left the hall.

* * *

She was clinically declared blind and yet you say she can still see.

It would appear that her severely traumatic experience has allowed her to forge an unusually strong control and unique connection with her chakra. Chakra is everywhere, on everything; her heightened sixth sense allows her to see by sensing the residue around her. At least that has been how I've been able to understand it.

It seems rather a risk to let such an untested ability to run around unchecked. There is also the matter of the seal.

She will have to be under constant surveillance until we can extract the scroll from her body.

How did such a thing happen in the first place?

She had successfully infiltrated the mansion but was attacked in the scroll room. She was cut on the cheek; it severed a bit of her hair. It is my understanding that both the hair and some of her blood landed on the scroll. When she picked it up, it must have registered that she had made a sacrifice for it and sealed itself onto her. The process would have been excruciating.

In any case she cannot be left alone while she is in possession of that scroll.

Agreed.

Very well, she will be assigned an ANBU team until we can get Jiraiya here to look at the seal.

* * *

As soon as she stepped foot out of the compound, she could sense their chakra focused on her. Four of them, familiar too. They were the ANBU team that she had left the village with. _Of course_, she mused, _the mission isn't technically over until the scroll is in the Hokage's hands._

Well, she was not about to fail it now.


End file.
